Umbrella



Patented Oct. ll, I898. E. E. MALLORY.

U M B B E L L A.

. (Applicltion filed Nov. 19, 1897.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

flu/611 far I alww ' Patented Uct. ll, I898. E. E. MALLORY.

UMBRELLA.

. (Application filed Nov. 19, 1897.)

(N o M o d 0| 2 Sheets-Shaet 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST E. MALLORY, OF VEST UNITY, OIIIO.

7 UMBRELLA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 612,045, dated October11, 1898.

A li ation filed November 19, 1897. Serial No. 659,198. (No model.)

T0 at whom it ntcty concern: I

Be it known that I, ERNEST E. MALLoRY, a citizen of the United States,residing at West Unity, in the county of Williams and State of Ohio,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Umbrellas; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in umbrellas, more especially inwhat may be termed short-folding umbrellas. Desiderata in this class ofumbrellas are to provide for the compact folding thereof, to economizespace to a nicety in packing or folding the same with facility andconvenience in a prescribed compass-as, for instance, in carrying theumbrella in a hand or grip sack or, similarly, in traveling oritinerating from place to place; also, to provide for readily repairingthe umbrella, and to adapt the urnbrella to be as readily unfolded orput back into its previous shape when required for use. Incidentally theumbrella stick' or staff is adapted to be withdrawn or detached from thetip or cover when short-folded for use as a walking stick or cane, aswill be readily appreciated.

Further objects of myinvention are to dispense with the cup-shapedcrown-piece and to adapt the ribs to provide for the ready housing ofthe parts folding'contiguously thereto in short-folding the umbrella,toremove all strain from the various parts in their short-foldedposition, and to so hinge or articulate the rib-sections as to providesubstantially continuous ribs with no irregularities therein, andtherefore allow the cover to have a smooth regular surface throughout atthe hinge-joints and elsewhere.

Additional advantages of myinvention will appear from the description ofthe details of the construction and arrangement of the parts.

The invention consists, primarily, of a sectional runner having in onesectionthe relatively stationary one-a loose dog or detent and a springconnected to the sliding or movable runner-section adapted to engagesaid dog ordeteut forholding therunner at either of the prescribedpoints, according as the umbrella is open, closed, or folded in theordinary way or folded short; secondly, of short pivoted rib-sectionsbetween the upper ends of the ribs proper'and the notch adapted when theumbrella isshort-folded to stand at an angle of about forty-five degreesto the notch and to close down with the inward folding of the ribsproper and the cover in the ordinary way, and, thirdly, of articulatedor hingejoint sections between the primary rib-sections where they foldwith the cover in folding short. r v

The invention also consists of certain other parts and details of theconstruction and ar rangement of the same, all substantially ashereinafter more fully disclosed, and specifically pointed out in theclaims.

The scope of my invention, broadly considered, extends to means foradapting the runner specially for use with a short-folding umbrella aswell as the ordinary long-folding umbrella, said means comprising arunner having a sliding sectionadapted to act upon a detent or dogthrough the action of a spring to engage the respective kerf or recessin the staff or stick at either the point for holding the umbrella openor closed, also whereby the detent or dog will be permitted to be en-'tirely disengaged from the staff in short-foldalineme nt with theprimary sections of the ribs.

All matters pertaining to the details of construction for putting intoexecution the foregoing are treated as only means to an end, andtherefore can be changed to suit circumstances.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating the preferred or one form ofcarrying out my invention, Figure 1 is a side view of the umbrella inits long-folded form. Fig. 2 is a View showing it open. 7 Fig. 3 is asectional View showing it short-folded. Fig. 4 is an enlargedpartly-broken-away View showing the stick or staff withdrawn from andrelatively disposed to the tip. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detailed viewshowing more fully the short subsections of the ribs. Fig. 6 is asimilar view of one of the articulated hinge-joint sections, and Fig. 7is a view of the same with the lock therefor. Fig. 8 is an enlarged Viewof the runner with its detent or dog, a portion of the staff or stickalso being shown. Fig. 9 is a sectional view of the same with thesliding section thereof moved to another point. Figs. 10, 11, and 12 aredetails showing the different adjustments of the staff and its handle.Fig. 13 is an enlarged detail view of clasping strap or band for cover.

A is the staff or stick, A the tip, B the cover, 0 the ribs, D the notchor crown, E the runner, and F the stretchers, all the general featuresof an umbrella.

The ribs 0 are, as usual in this class of umbrellas, made in twoprincipal sections 0 c and have suitably attached thereto in theordinary way the cover B to permit the folding of the latter uponitself, as practiced in shortfolding the umbrella, the upper centeringportion of said cover being secured around the tip A and having fittedthereon a cap a, held securely in position in any suitable way. The ribs0 have their upper or inner sections 0 provided with short pivoted orarticulated subsections or links 0 adapted to abut squarely against thenotch or crown D to cause them to stand either radially thereto when theumbrella is open or at right angles to said notch when the umbrella isshortfolded, said short subsections being wired to said notch, as is nowusually done in securing the upper rib-sections to the notch or crown ofan umbrella. By this arrangement, the short subsections or links 0 thusadapted to extend out about at an angle of forty-five degrees from thestick or staff, as just intimated, keeping the cover spread to thatextent, I provide for holding the inner ends of the upper rib-sectionsproper away from the notch or crown when the umbrella is inverted andfolded short, thus providing for the housing or assembling of the innerends of the runner-fingers with the attached or inner ends of thestretchers. This dispenses with the use of the additional or dome-shapedcrown or notch heretofore employed for that purpose; also, when theumbrella is folded long the parts are more presentable or neat, taperingdirect from the tip and crown, and thus adapted to be more compactly andsymmetrically folded.

The cover is also connected to the upper rib-sections in any suitablemanner-as, for instance, by sewing or looping it to eyes c upon theunder side of said rib-sections, as shown, or otherwiseto prevent thefolding back of the cover at that point as the umbrella is short-folded.

For clasping the cover of the umbrella, either short-folded orlong-folded, in a compact form I employ a strap or band B of somesuitable materialsuch, for instance, as elastic ribbed gore, as commonlyused for that purpose. The said strap or band is passed through aneyelet b, clenched in the cover, and having two hooks or clasps b 19arranged upon opposite sides thereof and at diametrically oppositepoints. The band or strap B, though in a single piece, is knotted, as at19 or otherwise adapted to provide a shorter length or portion thereofon one side of said eyelet or cover and a longer portion on the oppositeside of the latter and having eyes or rings b b at its ends, said ringsor eyes adapted to engage said clasps or hooks b, 19 respectively, thewhole length of said strap being used when the umbrella is shortfoldedand the long portion of said strap being used when the umbrella islong-folded.

The principal rib-sections c 0 have sandwiched in between their opposedends articulated or hinge-joint sections 0 adapted to permit the lowerrib-sections to fold back upon the upper rib-sections as the umbrella isshort-folded. The hinge-joint sections 0 consist each of a short piecewith edgewisedisposedend portions or tongues fitted and pivoted incorresponding slots or recesses in the respective rib-sections and withlateral ofisets 0 having inclined shoulders c abutting the correspondingends of said rib-sections to allow the latter to fieX or fold outward,but prevented from folding inward. The lower rib-section has aprojection 0 extending from its lower side up under the upperrib-section adapted to serve as a bearing for the cam end of thestretchers F, with said cam end suitably hung between lugs or ears 0depending from the sides of the upper ribsection. This arrangementprovides for looking the lower rib-sections at the hinge-joints againstupward displacement or folding from the action of the wind or otherwiseaccidentally when the umbrella is in use or when longfolded. It will benoticed that the rib-sections thus jointed or hinged together present apractically-continuous rib without upstanding hinge-joints, thusallowing the cover to lie smoothly throughout.

The runner E has outstanding therefrom a series of radial brackets orarms 6, formed, it may be, upon a hub of spider-like form and sleevedupon the runner proper fixedly. To the outer, preferablyupwardly-projecting, end portions of the arms e are pivoted a series ofspring-fingers 6, two being applied to each arm, and one each of saidspring-fingers of each two arms being connected to the inner end of eachstretcher. Said spring-fingers are presented edgewise to the staff orstick, which, together with this manner of connection between saidfingers and stretchers, provides for the reception of the stretchers,and the upper rib-sections between said fingers and arms when theumbrella is short-folded efiecting the compact folding of the parts withconvenience and facility.

The spring-fingers e are compassed by a sliding runner-section E, ofspider-like form, being composed, preferably, of a central ring 6arranged on the runner proper, and having a series of radial sector-likearms 0 each adapted to embrace two spring-fin gers,whereby by thesliding thereof, say upward, said spring-fingers are-pressed from thestaif or stick, relatively lengthening the stretcher-s, as

required when the umbrella is open or in use, and to stay thespring-fingers against being flexed or yielding when the umbrella issubjected to the action of the wind. The opposite movement of thesliding runner-sections E'releases the spring-fingers, as is resorted toin short-folding the umbrella.

Two opposite lever-clasps f f are suitably pivoted upon opposite arms 6of the runner E, with their lower ends bifurcated to clear said arms astheir lower ends are swung inward to engage and elevate the slidingrunner-section E, as is done, as above stated, when the umbrella isopened to compress the spring-fingers. These clasps are curved at theirupper ends, permitting said ends to overhang the runner, and areprovided with notch-es or recesses ff, one'in each clasp or lever,adapted to embrace the opposite sectorlike arms 6 of the slidingrunner-section E to provide for holding the latter at its point ofadjustment or against sliding downward. It is remarked, however, thatthe clasps are not essential to hold the sliding runner-section againstmovement, as the latter is enabled to secure a firm grip upon thespringfingers from the resistance offered thereto, due in a measure tothe action of the springfingers upon said sliding runner section. Theseclasps, nevertheless, afford a convenient means or finger-holds whenthrown down or disengaged from the sliding runner-section for readilypulling down the runner in unfolding the umbrella after having beenshortfolded, in addition to effecting the elevation of the runner, aspreviously stated, in shortfolding the umbrella.

In a raised-edged slot g in the tubular portion of the runner E, as oneWay of carrying into effect this part of my invention, is arrangedloosely, preferably, an edgewise-disposed piece of steel 9, having atooth 9 its engaging end serving as a dog or detent to engage therequired notches or kerfs h h in the staif or stick A for holding therunner instead of by a catch on the stick or staff, as heretofore, atthe required point of adjustment-as, for instance, when the umbrella isopen or long-folded. To the sliding runner E is connected one end of aspring 9 preferably bail-like, having its free end adapted to bear uponsaid dog or detent at either endat one end when the runner is in theposition it occupies when the umbrella is open and at the other end whenthe runner is in the position it occupies when the umbrella islongfolded. This arrangement of parts dispenses with the use of twostops or catches, as now used on the ordinary umbrella staff or stick,as will be readily appreciated.

It will be seen that as the sliding runnersection E is moved outwardordownward, as

is done preparatory to the short-folding of the umbrella, the spring gis so adjusted as to cause it to bear upon the loose detent or dog g gat its untoothed end and elevate its toothed end and so retain said end,and thus provide for retracting the tooth of the dog or detent-from thelower kerf or recess in the stafi or stick and retain it out ofengagement with the staff or stick during the entire transit of therunner E from its two extremes of ad justment-i. 6., from the positionit occupies when the umbrella is long-folded to that it takes inshort-foldingthe umbrella:

The staff or stick-A, in addition to being made in extensible andcontractible sections for the obvious purpose of adapting it for thisclass of umbrellas in case it is desired to also fold it with theshort-folding of the umbrella, is also adapted to be withdrawn ordetached from the cover and other parts of the umbrella in case it isdesired to use it in the meantime as a walking stick or cane. To theseends the tip A is made of a tube A having opposite bayonet-like endedslots at, and upon this tube is sleeved a second tube a formed with thebefore-referred-to notch D and with a flange or crown a overhanging saidnotch to prevent possible upward dis placement of the wired inner endsof the ribsections. The tube or sleeve a also has opposite slots a theslots a being adapted to be brought into alinement or coincidencetherewith by grasping and holding the staff stationarily and turning thetip slightly to the left.

The extreme lower end of the tip-tube A has a shoulder a thereon toconfine it to the notch-tube or sleeve (1 and'the extreme upper endportion of the staif or stick A is reduced, as at M, to permit it to beinserted into the tip-tube and its shoulder formed by such reductioncaused to engage or abut the inner end of the notch-tube and has a pin apassing transversely through it, with its ends projecting therefrom toengage the bayonetslots of said tip-tube. By bringing the slots 0i and ainto coincidence, as above pointed out, the projecting pin ends can bewithdrawn with the reduced end of the staff or stick from the tip.

The uppermost section A of the staff or stick A has, as usual, a pivotedor articulated link connection A with the next section A thereof topermit the same doubling up or folding upon itself, and over this linkconnection is adapted to slide a sleeve A when the parts are extended.The section A the longest, which has a recess or kerf extension of thelower kerf or recess h, telescopes a sleeve-section A having the kerf orrecess h", adapted by the proper adjustment of the parts to be broughtinto coincidence with the aforesaid recess or extension thereof, andalso has an aperture a clear through it adapted to register withopposite or coincident apertures a in the sleeve-section A to permitofthe application thereto of a handle A The handle A has a spring-presseddetent or dog a adapted to engage the apertures a (1.", cffecting thedetachable connection of the handle and the sleeve-section A, also thesection A and said sleeve-section A The sleevesection A has near itsupper end a socket or cup like sleeve a, with a stud arranged thereinadapted to engage a corresponding recess a in the edge of said handle toprovide for the alinement of the recesses and apertures aforesaid as theparts are extended. This arrangement also permits of theinterchangeability of handles, an example of two of which adapted to beapplied to the stick or staff is disclosed in the drawings When thebandles are removed, a cap Q13 or other closure may be applied to theend of the lowermost or sleeve section, as desired.

In order to short-fold the umbrella, it is inverted, the tip resting onthe floor. It is assumed that the runner E is in its normally innermostposition. The sliding runner-section E is moved downward, thelever-clasps ff having been previously disengaged from saidrunner-section, permitting the relative shortening of the stretchers, asrequired. The same movement of said runner-section effects theadjustment of the spring 9 with relation to the dog or detent g 9 so asto retract the latter from its engaged lower recess or kerf h in thestaff. The normally lower rib-sections, with that portion of the cover,are folded outward and back upon the other portion of the cover andrib-sections, the aforesaid relative shortening of the stretchersallowing this. The runner, with the springfingers, is now run clear downto the notch or crown, carrying with it the inner ends of thestretchers, when by properly compassing the cover with the hand theparts will assume a compact folded position.

The numerous features of my invention which commend its merits are fullydisclosed in the foregoing. Among these maybe mentioned compactness ornicety of folding of the parts-greatly desirable and an indispensableprerequisite in packing the same in a hand or grip sack, as foundconvenient in traveling or itinerating from place to place or making atour-facility and convenience in the conversion of the umbrellaintoeither a shortfolding or long-folding form, as may be desired, and theready detachability of the staff or stick of the umbrella for use as awalking stick or cane, constituting it a thing of continuous utility,and still further providing for greater compactness in lessening the number of parts of the umbrella for folding. It is also capable of beingreadily repaired when such becomes necessary, as is made apparent.

It will be understood that I do not restrict myself to the constructionand arrangement of the parts as to minutia of detail; but such may bechanged or modified, as required,without departing from the spirit orprinciples of my invention and the same remain intact.

Having thus fully described my invention, What I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an umbrella, the combination, with the ribs, stretchers and staff,of the runner carrying a sliding or movable section and a dog or detentset loosely in said runner and having, suitably spaced apart, studs orprojections adapted to form separate fulcrums therefor, and a springcarried by said sliding or movable runner-section, adapted to bear uponsaid dog or detent, substantially as set forth.

2. In an umbrella, the combination, with the crown or notch, stretchersand staff or stick, of the sectional ribs, having pivoted subsections atthe inner or upper ends, in turn pivoted to said crown-notch, with theircrown or notch connected ends adapted to abut squarely against saidcrown or notch to aid in housing the inverted ends of the primaryrib-sections when the umbrella is short-folded, substantially as setforth.

3. In an umbrella, the combination, with the staif and stretchers, ofthe sectional ribs having their primary sections connected byarticulated sections or links let into said primary sections flush withthe upper surface of said ribs and having lateral inclined offsetsabutting corresponding shouldersor ends of said primary sections, one ofsaid primary sections having an extension underlapping the joint thusformed between said primary sections and said stretchers adapted attheir rib-connected ends to bear upon, and lock, said underlapping ribextension'in place, substantially as specified.

4. In an umbrella, the combination, with the notch, the stretchers andthe staff or stick, of the sectional ribs having their primary sectionsconnected by hinge-joint or articulated sections or links let into therib-sections flush with the upper surface of said ribs and havinglateral offsets with inclined shoulders abutting corresponding ends ofsaid rib-sections, substantially as set forth.

5. In an umbrella, the combination, with the notch or crown, staff orstick and stretchers, of the sectional ribs each having its primarysections in alinement, end to end, and the intermediary subsections orlinks sandwiched between the said primary sections flush with the uppersurface of said primary ribsections, one of said primary rib-sectionshaving an extension underlapping the intermediary joint .thus formed andstretchers having their rib-connected ends adapted to bear upon, andlock, said rib extension in place, substantiallyas set forth.

6. In an umbrella, the combination, with the ribs, stretchers and staffor stick, of the runner having spring-fingers connected to saidstretchers and having a sliding or movable section fitted upon orcompassing said spring-fingers, substantially as described.

7. In an umbrella, the combination, with the ribs, the notch or crown,the stretchers and stick or staff, of the runner comprising the seriesof radial arms having attached to their upstanding ends edgewisearranged spring fingers, in turn connected to said stretchers, thesliding runner-section compassing said spring-fingers and carrying aspring bearing upon a detent or dog loosely set in a slot in saidrunner, substantially as specified.

8. In an umbrella, the combination, with the tubular tip portion havingthe notch or crown tube or sleeve, adapted to turn in the latter, of thestaff or stick having lateral projections, both said tip and sleevehaving slots adapted to be interlocked with said projections of saidstaff, substantially as described.

9. In an umbrella, the combination of the frame composed of the usualelements of an umbrella and the stick or staff comprising two mainlinked or jointed together sections suitably sleeved at the joint, andthe sleevesection telescoping one of the aforesaid sections and havingcoincident recesses and apertures, and a socket having a stud therein,and the handle provided with a spring detent or dog engaging saidcoincident apertures and a recess in one edge to engage said stud,substantially as set forth.

10. In an umbrella, the combination, with the cover having an eyelettherein, of the clasping strap or band having different lengths beyondsaid eyelet or cover upon opposite sides thereof, respectively, andrings or eyes at its ends adapted to engage said clasps upon oppositesides of said eyelet, at diametrically opposite points, substantially asset forth.

- 11. In an umbrella, the combination, with the stretchers and runnerhaving the springfingers connected to said stretchers, the ribs, thestick or staff and the sliding runner-section, of the lever-claspspivoted upon said runner and adapted to engage said slidingrunner-section, and to be swung downward and grasped, for moving saidrunner downward, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ERNEST E. MALLORY.

Witnesses:

W. B. CLAY, GEO. C. RINGS.

